Christmas Wishes
by Jae Caez
Summary: It's Christmastime at Central and it's prime for celebrating. The military is hosting their Christmas party and Ed is forced to go. Things get heated up and some unexpected results occur. Roy/Ed


**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa. Enjoy!**

_'Dammit.' _Ed slumped down in his chair. He should have been home by now. But nooooo! The Colonel just _had_ to keep him after. Probably something about his one of his reports not being written correctly. Not that it really mattered. Colonel Mustang already knew everything that happened on his missions. He had eyes everywhere.

Ed checked the clock on the wall opposite him. He had already been waiting outside the Colonel's office for almost an hour. He should have left by now but he'd actually been in a good mood today, so he'd decided to give the Colonel the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he had simply had too much paperwork to do and he had lost track of time.

Now, all of his good mood had been washed down the drain and he felt like pummeling the next person he saw. Hopefully, it would be Mustang. He'd love to smash his smug, handsome face in. _'Wait a minute,' _Ed frowned, '_Did I really just think of his face as __**handsome**__? I must be getting delirious._' He sighed and rubbed his eyes. _'I have been working pretty late these days.' _ He brushed it off as a result of sleep deprivation and continued to wait.

And wait.

Still waiting.

After another ten minutes of sitting there and staring at the other soldiers who were still on shift, he decided he was going to walk out of there. Obviously, the Colonel didn't remember he had summoned him. That or Mustang knew Edward was waiting and planned on letting him do so the entire night. If that was the case, then Mustang was getting a fist in the face the next time Ed saw his stupid mug.

It was at this moment that Lieutenant Hawkeye walked into the room. She took one look at Ed and sighed. "Have you been waiting long, Edward?"

Ed nodded his head. He watched as she marched to Colonel Mustang's inner office and flung open the thick, oak doors.

Ed's peered in and his blood boiled at the sight in front of him. Mustang was in his office, but instead of doing his work like he should have been, he lay asleep on a pile of paperwork. Yep, he was going to murder him.

The look on Riza's face said she wouldn't mind doing the same. She whipped out her pistol and fired off a shot above his head.

Mustang's sprang up from his seat, eyes wide open in fear. "What the hell! Are you trying to kill me?!" he yelled, clutching at his chest.

"If I wanted to do so, you'd already be dead." She holstered her gun and gestured in Ed's direction. "Someone's here to see you."

Mustang shifted his gaze over from Hawkeye to Ed. Cautiously, he lowered himself back down in his seat.

"I'll be leaving now."

"Right, Lieutenant. Don't forget to close the door behind you."

Riza complied, leaving the two alone.

"That woman," Mustang groaned, rubbing his temples. "She'll be the death of me."

Ed cleared his throat, frustrated over the whole ordeal. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, my reason for calling you here." He dug into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a slip of paper. He extended it to Ed, who took it with a confused look.

"The military is holding their annual Christmas celebration here at Central Command. The date will be December 30th from 6 p.m. to midnight. That's a ticket, in case you were wondering. You can bring whoever you'd like."

"A Christmas party?" Edward asked incredulously. "_That's_ the reason you called me in?"

"Yes. While not required, all Amestrian Military personnel are prompted to attend," Mustang said, leaning forward in his seat. "Except for you, Fullmetal. You're a special case. Fuhrer Bradley himself has asked that you prepare and present a speech for this event."

Edward scoffed. "So, I can't even refuse." He turned to leave. "Well, too bad for you because I sure as hell am not going. Have someone else give the damn speech."

"Fullmetal", Mustang interceded, "You're still searching for a way to restore your brother's body, isn't that correct?" Ed's footsteps faltered, coming to a stop. "Well, I happen to have recently received files on an individual in Yoxeqa. The townspeople say he managed to bring his daughter back from the dead. Sounds familiar, now doesn't it Fullmetal."

Ed's neck swiveled to see Mustang holding up a manila folder, a smirk plastered to the Colonel's face. Ed groaned. "I get it, I get it. Equivalent exchange and all that. Fine," he scowled, "I'll go to the stupid party. Just give me the damn information."

Mustang held out the files for him to take. Ed strode back to the Colonel and snatched them out of his gloved hands, glaring at him as he did so. Onyx eyes just gazed back, a smug smile dancing on his lips. Ed huffed and tried to get out of the room, away from that manipulative bastard. He was already halfway out the door when Mustang called out to him.

"Oh, and Fullmetal?" He pushed back his chair and stood up, moving over to where Ed stood. Mustang loomed over him. It was probably just to try to rub in his height advantage, but it still caused something to flutter inside Ed's stomach. He was so close that Ed could smell the musky scent of his cologne.

"Yes, Colonel?" Ed gritted his teeth. He wanted to get this over with already and Mustang was just prolonging it.

"You're not permitted to leave Central for your little side mission until after the Christmas party." Mustang leaned slightly closer. "That way, you won't skip out on it."

"Dammit," Ed cursed under his breath. He had planned on doing just that.

Mustang smirked. "I'm not an idiot. I know what you're going to do even before you, shrimp." And with that, he pushed Ed out the door, slamming it behind him.

It took Ed a second to comprehend what just happened. His face flashed red with anger and he pounded his fists against the shut door. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET THAT'S TOO PREDICTABLE?!"

Everyone in the room looked to see the reason for all the commotion. All except Hawkeye, who glanced up briefly but didn't pay much attention. She was used to Edward and the Colonel fighting so she'd learned to block out their arguments.

"I'LL BREAK YOUR LEGS OFF AND FEED THEM TO THE LIEUTENANT'S DOG! THEN WE'LL SEE WHO'S SHORT, YOU JERK!" He punched the door one last time, then stormed out of the room.

"Uh", Fuery asked, "Is Edward alright?"

Hawkeye waved her hand in dismissal. "He's fine. He and the Colonel are always at each others throats, but it's never anything too serious. You don't need to worry about it."

* * *

"It's not fair," Edward muttered, his breath forming little clouds of fog. "The Colonel acts like he's _sooo_ much better than me. Always looking down on me and calling me small. It's not like I'm done growing. I'll get taller eventually," he complained, "It just takes a little time, is all. Maybe I'll even be bigger than him." Ed grinned at the thought, imagining himself towering over his superior officer.

The sound of snow crunching under his feet filled his ears as he headed towards the small two-story house he shared with his younger brother, Alphonse. When Ed and Al had first arrived, they had been offered a place in the military dorms but they had declined. It was so lifeless there, which was strange for an establishment that housed so many people. So they had decided to rent a place that wasn't too far from Central HQ.

Ed shivered. Today's weather wasn't as bad as yesterdays, but it was still horrible to walk in. This time of the year also made his automail hurt, which wasn't pleasant in the least. To make matters even worse, Ed was hungry. It was already past nine and he hadn't eaten anything since noon. He was supposed to have left at half past seven, but Havoc had told him that the Colonel needed to talk to him. Then the Colonel had wasted his time, making him even later. Alphonse was probably worried about him.

It was all the dumb Colonel's fault. He just couldn't seem to leave Ed alone. He was always teasing Ed and provoking him to get upset for no other reason than his entertainment. It was like Mustang wanted Edward to despise him.

_'Well,' _Edward thought having finally calmed down, '_I don't actually hate him. He's just a pain in the ass sometimes__.'_ To be honest, Edward liked the man, though he'd never admit it. He had been a part of his life for six years and was the one who had motivated him to get back what the Gate had taken. If not for Colonel Mustang, Ed would have spent the rest of his life moping over their failure. For this, he would forever be grateful.

So, when he started to develop feelings towards Mustang, he had thought it was extreme appreciation, and that maybe it even marked the beginning of a father-son sort of relationship. After all, Hohenheim had abandoned them when Ed was an infant so he didn't know how having a dad was like.

However, his emotions began getting more and more complicated and Ed had realized they were not those of a son and father figure. They were not platonic, and romantic instead. Of course, he attempted to deny it. He didn't love that bastard. Anyone who said otherwise deserved to burn in the fiery pits of hell.

Yet, in the end, Ed had accepted it. So what if he was attracted to Mustang? It wasn't like it could lead anywhere even if he tried. Mustang obviously didn't think of Ed in the same way that Ed thought of him. Looking at the way he treated him, it wasn't plausible for the Colonel to have the same feelings towards Ed that Ed had towards him. To Mustang, Ed was an insolent child who he put up with everyday, not a possible love interest.

Even if there was the chance that their feelings were mutual, it was wrong for a subordinate to be with his superior. Add in the fact that the man was fourteen years older than him and you had a recipe for disaster. So it was better for Ed to lock away these irrational emotions and pretend. Pretend his heart didn't skip whenever the Colonel was closeby. Pretend he didn't want Mustang. After all, it wasn't good to delude oneself. That only left room for disappointment.

Still, a guy could dream, couldn't he?

* * *

"Al, I'm home." Ed called out. He hung up his red coat and kicked off his boots. "Al?" No reply. He walked into the living room, where Alphonse should have been. "Al, where are you?" At that moment, he heard a crash come from upstairs. Ed spun and readied himself into a fighting stance, in the chance that someone would actually be idiotic enough to break into the domain of the notorious Fullmetal Alchemist. He relaxed when he saw a metal head poke out, followed by a giant metal body.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed. He seemed skittish. "You're late."

"The Colonel kept me after hours. Something about a Christmas party," Ed explained, plopping himself down on his favorite couch.

Al kept fidgeting and shifting his eyes downwards.

"You okay, Al?"

Al nodded. "I'm fine, brother. Nothing's going on. Just same old, same old!"

Ed tipped his head in concern. "Are you sure? You're acting strange. Well, at least stranger than usual. Did something happ- ? "

Ed stopped as he was interrupted by a peculiar noise coming from within Al's armor. Ed frowned. What could make that type of sound? Then, it dawned on him.

"Al", he warned.

"But brother," Al pouted, "It was so cold outside, and they were begging for someone to help them…"

"I don't care. You can't just take every stray into our house." Ed pointed to the door. "Out. Now."

"Brother, you're not human!" Al cried out. "It's winter. Think of the poor, little kittens. They'll freeze out there! Where's your Christmas spirit?!" He pulled the best puppy dog eyes that he could until eventually, Ed caved in.

"Fine, but you have to take care of them. Food, water, bathroom, etc. They're your responsibility."

"Thank you, Brother," Alphonse exclaimed in joy and grabbed Ed around the waist to spin him around in circles, in cutting off his air flow. "I promise I will."

Ed struggled against the grip Al had on him. Damn, he was strong.

Al finally took notice of Ed's discomfort and lowered him to the ground. "Sorry. I keep forgetting to control myself whenever I'm excited."

"I'm alright," Ed wheezed. Once he could breathe again, he straightened up and peered at Al's sturdy stomach. He flicked the spot where he thought the kitten was, and received a light mew in return.

Ed sighed. "I guess it's not that bad. It's only one or two, right? Shouldn't be too hard."

Al laughed nervously. "Yeah, about that…" He opened the front of his armor to reveal a mass horde of kittens. It was like a tsunami, as waves and waves of felines erupted out of his insides! Ed's eyes opened wide in shock. There had to be at least ten, if not more. So maybe the tsunami things wasn't exactly accurate, but still, there was a lot of cats.

"You see, I was going to the market this morning and I saw a box on the side of the street. It had a whole litter of kittens. Adorable baby kittens, brother! It was so cold and they were looking at me with their pitiful eyes. I had to save them. I thought of how you would react and I considered leaving them there, but I just knew I couldn't," Alphonse rambled, "I'm sorry. This is all my fault." He stood there, looking guilty and awaiting a response from Edward.

Ed opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. In the end, he relented. "It's alright. Just watch over them all, won't you. And make sure to keep them out of my room. I don't want to come home to cats in my boxers.

"Sure brother. I'll do my best." Ed smiled at the look of absolute joy Al wore. He'd do anything to make his brother happy.

* * *

"So, what's for dinner, Al?" Ed asked. "I'm starving."

"I made your favorite." Alphonse skipped into the kitchen and came back with a bowl of delicious-looking stew.

"Ah, now you're just trying to butter me up, aren't ya?" Edward grinned and dug into his food. "I remember when Mom used to make stew."

Al sighed happily. "Yeah, hers was the best. I wish I could taste it just once more."

"Don't worry, Al," Ed reassured him,"Once we get your body back, you can eat all the stew you could ever want. Speaking of that," Edward continued, "I got a lead from the Colonel on someone who actually succeeded in human transmutation."

"Really? Do you think they used a Philosopher's Stone?"

Ed nodded. "It's the only possible way they could have done it. The only problem is I'm not sure if this is legit information. Still, I'll follow any lead if it means restoring you to your old self." A look of determination was evident on his face.

"Don't forget yourself, brother," Alphonse added. "We'll get your arm and leg back too."

"Yeah," Ed agreed, though getting back Alphonse's body was more important to him than his missing limbs. "Once Mustang's dumb military party is done and finished, we can take a train right over and investigate this some more."

"Hey, brother? You mentioned that before too. The party, that is."

"Oh yeah," Ed responded, "Central's having a party to celebrate Christmas and they're making me go and give a speech about how much I just _love_ being a dog of the military. I don't get why they picked me, but hell, if I have to." Ed pointed at Al, "And you're coming with me. It's not fair if only one of us has to be bored out of their mind."

"Can Winry come too?" Al asked eagerly.

"Winry? Wasn't she staying over in Rush Valley?"

"She called earlier to say she's coming to visit. She also wants to check on your automail since you never do your maintenance like you're supposed to."

"My automail's just fine!" Ed yelled angrily. "I don't need her coming over to nag me all the time. I can take care of it myself!"

"Even if that's true, it's better to let her do what she wants. She'll give you a check-up whether you like it or not."

"You spoil her too much. It's probably because you like her," Ed teased with a shit-eating grin.

"I do not!" Al protested.

"Yes you do," Ed said, "I've seen the way you look at her. You're in _love_."

"Shut up! Maybe I do love her. You know what? Yeah, I do," Al confessed. An awkward silence came over them."And you?"

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, pretending he didn't know what Al was talking about.

"Who do you like?"

"No one," Ed answered hastily, his voice slightly cracking.

"You _do_ like somebody," Al insisted. "Your voice always does that whenever you're lying. Is the girl in Liore? She seemed to be into you."

Ed shook his head. "Rose? I only knew her for two days. Besides, she was too whiny and annoying."

"Paninya? She's a nice girl." Al suggested.

Ed snorted. "Not likely. Look," he said, leaning back in his seat, "I do like somebody but it would never work with them. So, how about you just drop it, alright?"

"Is it someone I know?" Al asked.

"Yes." Ed figured it wouldn't do any harm to answer. They met a lot of people on their missions and had traveled to every corner of the country. It could be practically anyone in Amestris. He doubted Al could figure it out. His secret was safe.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted." Ed pushed back his chair and went to leave his dirty dishes in the sink.

"Goodnight brother," Al chirped.

"Goodnight Al," Ed said and climbed the stairs to his room. He undressed and put on his pajamas; a tank top and boxers. Then he turned off the lights and scrambled into bed.

During his conversation with Al, he had in fact been thinking of a certain someone. Now, his mind flooded with thoughts of Mustang. It was only at times like these that he let himself fantasize, in the solitude of night. Of his dark, unkempt hair that he imagined would feel soft to the touch and his eyes the color of obsidian. Ed wished he could taste the milky white skin that peeped out from underneath his collar and to have it pressed against his own. He yearned for the sensation of Mustang's hands wandering to places only lovers saw. To make the other man his would be a dream come true, but it was only that. A dream. It comforted him, though, and that was enough. Enough to hope for a future that could never be.

And hope was a dangerous thing.


End file.
